I never thought of this. With TL on board, this is a very realistic possibility. A trade may not be necessary as Dwight is a FA, unless a sign a trade helps get rid of Bargnani.

Crazy talk. A trade is necessary because we don't have cap space, let alone enough cap space for a max contract. I really really really don't think Dwight Howard wants to come play for the Raptors. Let's stick to things with a 10% chance of happening like Phil Jackson coming in as team president.

You could pull it off for Bargnani, Kleiza, filler and future picks. If you used JV you would still need to send them a big contract to do the math. I'm against it for a whole slew of reasons (no way they trade with Toronto and not demand DD), but, so many people were screaming for a post presence that I'm surprised so many people disagree with the concept of bringing him in.

Let's not talk about Dwight for now. I only just stopped laughing at Lakers sweep jokes.
Anyway, my priorities:
1) Fire BC-Pretty simple. I would keep Casey for another year, but BC has to go.
2) Remove Bargs from the team, by any means-Hopefully this is a trade for someone like Ilyasova or a Hawes/Wright combo, but if he can't be traded, amnesty. I can live with Linas stealing money for another year. Plus, $10mil in cap space could find a suitable replacement, given Millsap, Landry, Brand and JJ Hickson are all FA's (Landry has a player option). And hey, this Amir kid put a good season together...
3) Let AA and Pietrus walk, and ensure Ross sees more minutes. Before we talk trades, Raps must obey the 4th basketball commandment; "Thou shalt not trade a rookie who has not seen major minutes". He needs to see 6th man type minutes this year, gotta gauge this kid's ceiling.

Let's not talk about Dwight for now. I only just stopped laughing at Lakers sweep jokes.
Anyway, my priorities:
1) Fire BC-Pretty simple. I would keep Casey for another year, but BC has to go.
2) Remove Bargs from the team, by any means-Hopefully this is a trade for someone like Ilyasova or a Hawes/Wright combo, but if he can't be traded, amnesty. I can live with Linas stealing money for another year. Plus, $10mil in cap space could find a suitable replacement, given Millsap, Landry, Brand and JJ Hickson are all FA's (Landry has a player option). And hey, this Amir kid put a good season together...
3) Let AA and Pietrus walk, and ensure Ross sees more minutes. Before we talk trades, Raps must obey the 4th basketball commandment; "Thou shalt not trade a rookie who has not seen major minutes". He needs to see 6th man type minutes this year, gotta gauge this kid's ceiling.

Amnestying Bargnani won't free up any cap space unless it's combined with other salary-clearing trades, as we're currently well over the cap. Not saying amnestying might be the right option, just that if we do, the mid-level exception ($5 million) is where we'll need to find the money for any free agent replacement for him. Brand's the only one of those guys who will be well within our price range. Landry might be, if we spend the full MLE on him, but I think he probably either stays with GSW or gets an offer worth more than the full MLE.

edit: my top 3 steps:

1. Tell Casey and the analytics department that I want that little simulation of theirs made into a computer game that the players can play during every moment of the summer that they're not in the gym, until defensive positioning become completely ingrained. I know this sounds facetious, but I'm dead serious. I want them playing defense with skynet-like ruthlessness and efficiency by next season. I'm going to stake my GM career on embracing this sort of advanced analytics and technology.
2. Trade Bargnani for versatile veteran backup PG or PF/C, and then use the MLE on whichever position isn't filled by the trade. Boozer and Gasol scenarios are both viable for me, but Gasol's preferable for how soon his contract comes off the books. Okafor would work, too, or some combination of smaller parts. Assuming a trade can be found for Bargnani, amnesty Kleiza.
3. Let the current core roll into next season and give them a chance to sink or swim as a group. 30 games into the season, I'll make a decision to (A) blow up the current core and essentially tank the rest of the season for a high draft pick (blaming it on Colangelo, and saying how we need to focus on trading for and developing youth); or (B) let them continue if they're winning (and take credit for their success with the 'best trade is the one you don't make' line). If they're winning, I'll try to convince Gay and Lowry to take discount extensions on the argument that this is what they need to do if we're going to take the next step and build a winner around them.
4. Assuming a winning scenario in step 3 above, aim long-term for 2015 (when contracts to Fields, Johnson, and potentially Bargnani's trade return such as Boozer all expire) as when we're going to add one remaining big piece (potentially at PF). 2015 is key because this is when New York, Miami, and Brooklyn will really feel the crunch of the new repeater rate provisions, and be forced to think hard about blowing up their cores. All moves made now should be made with consideration for their impact in 2015 and beyond.

if we get a top 3 pick in this years draft (hopefully #1), I would try to facilitate a sign and trade with the atlanta hawks where they take bargnani,fields,and top 3 pick (approximately 20 mill in salary), and we get josh smith signed to max (clear overpay) and deshawn stevenson. (if we don't get top 3 pick,try to use derozan in sign and trade, but be prepared to amnesty bargs b/c derozan is not enough to warrant taking his bad contract)

If the sign and trade (top 3 pick, bargs,fields) is succesful Derozan gets traded for a good shooting SG who doesn't have to be spectacular, just good enough to give ross time to develop, and Backup back to the bucket Big. (basically our bench)

offer calderon like 6 million 2 year deal.

Casey stays.

No way josh smith deserves a max deal. And i don't think any GM will be stupid enough to do this. Every stat of his has basically regressed from last year, not to mention he's shooting 59% FT.

You could pull it off for Bargnani, Kleiza, filler and future picks. If you used JV you would still need to send them a big contract to do the math. I'm against it for a whole slew of reasons (no way they trade with Toronto and not demand DD), but, so many people were screaming for a post presence that I'm surprised so many people disagree with the concept of bringing him in.

Are you suggesting Howard is a presence in the post? He's not very efficient in the post (he barely has anything resembling a post move). Most people here, who talk about a post presence, also want someone who can pass out of the post. Howard isn't good at passing.

I don't like the idea of any trade where we give up JV. My list of players I'd give him up for stands firmly at 2: LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Anyone else and I'd have doubts. Likely too many to make it worth it. I firmly believe JV could be the best 2-way C in the game during his prime. As someone who has followed a team whose best C, at least while with the Raptors, was a 6'9'' PF (Antonio Davis)...I'm so happy to have a legit 7 footer, who runs the floor, can score on the block, facing up and on the p'n'r, has an incredible motor, good leadership qualities, a high bball IQ, and solid defensive ability, all at a young age..It's the biggest luxury this team has ever had. I've said it before and I'll say it again, JV is the best prospect this team has had. He's a C with a game that fits both ends of the court, and just about any style of play the team wants to use. It hurts my brain to think of trading him.

Since we're pitching crazy ideas...
1) Trade Lowry and DeMar to Sacramento in a sign and trade for Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton. My reason is that Tyreke is best with the ball in his hands as he showd in his rookie season when he played PG averaging a bit over 5 assitst per game. He's showing signs of returning to his old self this season and shot a personal best 47.8% from the field which is quite good for a guard imo. Marcus Thornton is a pretty good 3pt shooter, shooting 37% from beyond the arc this season and about 36.5% lifetime. He's not a great defender, but this deal is more about getting Tyreke, whom I think is going to have a break out year next season if healthy. Salaries would need to be matched up, so fillers would be required.

2) Amnesty Kleiza

3) Trade Barnani for Boozer and Nate Robinson. Not a huge Boozer fan, but that has more to do with his personality than his skills

Assumptions:
- Casey will be back, since his option was picked-up already
- Kleiza will either walk away or be amnestied if his player option is picked-up
- Gray will return after his player option is picked-up
- Lucas will return after his team option is picked-up
- Anderson, Pietrus and Telfair will walk as free agents

Crazy talk. A trade is necessary because we don't have cap space, let alone enough cap space for a max contract. I really really really don't think Dwight Howard wants to come play for the Raptors. Let's stick to things with a 10% chance of happening like Phil Jackson coming in as team president.

Oh yes, sorry I didn't think of cap space. Normally, Howard wouldn't come to Toronto but I see a possibility now because TL is CEO. After all his ability to attract big names is one of the reasons he's hired.

I don't like the idea of any trade where we give up JV. My list of players I'd give him up for stands firmly at 2: LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Anyone else and I'd have doubts. Likely too many to make it worth it. I firmly believe JV could be the best 2-way C in the game during his prime. As someone who has followed a team whose best C, at least while with the Raptors, was a 6'9'' PF (Antonio Davis)...I'm so happy to have a legit 7 footer, who runs the floor, can score on the block, facing up and on the p'n'r, has an incredible motor, good leadership qualities, a high bball IQ, and solid defensive ability, all at a young age..It's the biggest luxury this team has ever had. I've said it before and I'll say it again, JV is the best prospect this team has had. He's a C with a game that fits both ends of the court, and just about any style of play the team wants to use. It hurts my brain to think of trading him.

seriously not much else to say Bargs just needs to be moved hes killing us just being here, that was proven this season...Addition by subtraction, I hope BC doesnt think hes more valuable than he is, I remember him saying you dont want to trade a guy like Bargnani for anything...which is true but you have to see the team plays better without him...

"worst case scenario would be him attempting to keep Bargnani to play beside Rudy Gay as his *ahem "Dream Draft Duo" ugggghhhh!

I don't think that he's killing us being here. He's just a non-factor. If we kept him, he would likely be 3rd big (behind JV and Amir). So I just don't see the point of keeping him around anymore. If we can get back 1 or 2 players and a 1st round pick, i'd take it without thinking twice. I'm not looking for a blockbuster deal here, just some sort of value. I would even take Turkeyglue + first rounder for Bargs, then waive 'glue and call it a day.

I understand the rationale for rebuilding, but that just sound like blatant tanking, while hoping for one of two lucky things to happen:

1. get lucky in the draft lottery and then draft a superstar, franchise-altering talent (ie: what people hope Wiggins will be)

2. hope for another Harden type of deal to come around, then hope that the assets (ie: draft picks & rookies) are enough to entice the team to trade with you

I just don't believe either option is a guaranteed, tried-and-true strategy for sustainable team-building. I'm also not saying that the current Raptors team is 'complete' or even 'near complete' by any stretch of the imagination. I just think that the Raptors do have a decent young/skilled core, that is a few shrewd moves away from becoming a strong playoff team. There seems to be a lot of unexplored 'gray area' between "keep the team as is" and "complete rebuild from scratch overnight".

I understand the rationale for rebuilding, but that just sound like blatant tanking, while hoping for one of two lucky things to happen:

1. get lucky in the draft lottery and then draft a superstar, franchise-altering talent (ie: what people hope Wiggins will be)

2. hope for another Harden type of deal to come around, then hope that the assets (ie: draft picks & rookies) are enough to entice the team to trade with you

I just don't believe either option is a guaranteed, tried-and-true strategy for sustainable team-building. I'm also not saying that the current Raptors team is 'complete' or even 'near complete' by any stretch of the imagination. I just think that the Raptors do have a decent young/skilled core, that is a few shrewd moves away from becoming a strong playoff team. There seems to be a lot of unexplored 'gray area' between "keep the team as is" and "complete rebuild from scratch overnight".

I was curious what your long-term play was. From what you posted (which is all we have to go on), it just seems like you're undoing all of BC's 'work', without any specifics of the actual rebuilding you would recommend (aside from "rookies" and "draft picks"). Hence my 2 assumptions, in place of an actual laid-out strategy (aside from acquiring as many assets as possible).

I am fine with BC being fired and am not satisfied with this team as is, but am frustrated with all the posts that complain about how he's built this team, without any alternate plan being presented. For the most part, BC has built through the draft (ie: Bargnani, DeRozan, Davis, Valanciunas, Ross, Acy - 5 lottery picks in past 7 years), while taking advantage of opportunities to turn those assets into proven players (ie: Lowry & Gay trades). Without having more to go on, I just see a similar plan of collecting assets (young players and draft picks, either to play or use as trade bait), while just hoping they turn out to be more successful than all the lottery picks and trades made by BC over the past 7 years.

I was just looking for clarification in case my assumptions were off... and it wasn't directly only at you, but just that sort of thinking in general (which is why I didn't reply to your original post).

We're bad enough to be the worst team in the league in 2014 and we have Milwaukee's selection as well (likely somewhere in the 8-18 range). We've also kept our own second rounder in a deep draft. More importantly, we've suddenly escaped from salary cap hell with roughly $42 million coming off the books next summer (Gordon, Gasol, Gray, JL3, Roy). The only players under salary for 2014-15 are:

All of a sudden that's a pretty awesome young core. The team would also have $35 million plus in cap room to either a) take on a bad contract or two with the Raps getting a 2015 first rounder (or a good young player) as compensation for doing so or b) make your pitch to free agents who you actually want on your team to grow with the young nucleus.

Let the kids take their lumps for one more season (while providing plenty of highlights along the way) and draft in the top 8 again in 2015. All of a sudden you're the Thunder of the East in only 2 years time from now... and you still have more cap space then you know what to do with!